PI3K/Akt: getting it right matters.
The Akt serine/threonine kinase (also called protein kinase B) has emerged as a critical signaling molecule within eukaryotic cells. Significant progress has been made in clarifying its regulation by upstream kinases and identifying downstream mechanisms that mediate its effects in cells and contribute to signaling specificity. Here, we provide an overview of present advances in the field regarding the function of Akt in physiological and pathological cell function within a more generalized framework of Akt signal transduction. An emphasis is placed on the involvement of Akt in human diseases ranging from cancer to metabolic dysfunction and mental disease.
Franke
T F
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Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. thomas.franke@nyumc.org
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D023421:Models, Animal; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D009857:Oncogenes; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt